Ball point writing instrument



H. C. FRENTZEL BALL POINT WRITING INSTRUMENT Feb. 5, 1952 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 17, 1945 Feb. 5, 1952 H. c. FRENTZEL 2,584,569

BALI.. POINT WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 17, 1945 l 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 N( :l y NR \\N b1 1 SQ.

' 'INVENTOR.

ment of said rod, thelatch member 3 23 and 24, which constitute shoulders against which the free end of rod I5 is adapted to abut.

The apex 20 is so positioned on latch member I8 that when said latch member is disposed within the bore of liner I0, as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2, said apex is laterally offset in one direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of rod I5 so that when rod I5 is moved forwardly its free end will engage surface 22 and said rod will be flexed by the camming into engagement with shoulder 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Continued forward movement of rod I5, caused by depressing pushbutton result in a forward movement of latch member I8 which, in turn, causes a forward movement of the ball-and-cartridge unit. Pin I1 is so positioned laterally with respect to the point of contact of rod I5 with latch member I8, as depicted in Fig. 2, that upon movement of said latch member forwardly to a point where it is clear of the forward end of liner I0, and release of the push button I2, the latch member is toggled into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5, wherein one edge of the latch member is engaged by the forward-edge of said liner in such manner as to latch the ball-and-cartridge unit in its forward position. When the pushbutton is released, said pushbutton, together with rod I5, is retracted by spring I4, as illustrated in Fig. 4, but the balland-cartridge unit remains latched in its forward position.

With latch member I8 in its latched position, asdepicted in Figs. 4 and 5, the apex 20 is laterally displaced from the longitudinal axis of flexible rod I5 in a direction opposite to the lateral displacement depicted in Fig. 2. If, thereafter, pushbutton I2 is again depressed, the free end of said rod will engage sloping surface ZI and will be cammed thereby into engagement der 234 and, in response to further forward movewill be moved forwardly to some extent and at the same time rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, so that upon a succeeding rearward movement it will enter the bore of liner I0 and thus reoccupy the position in" which it is shown in Figs. l and 2.

A pocket clip 25 of conventional design may be provided. y

Itwill be apparent that the objects of my invention have been achieved in that I have provided a pushbutton operated ball-point pen wherein consecutive operations of the pushbutton cause the writing point to be alternately propelled and retractedand'wherein all of the parts are of simple design and capable of economical manufacture and easy assemblage. Also, it will be evident from inspection of the drawing that all of the component parts are easily replaceable, including the ball-and-cartridge unit.

My invention is clearly susceptible of various modifications and alternative embodiments and for that reason I do not wish to be limited except bythe scope of the appended claims.

- I claim:

e Yl. In a ball-point writing instrument, a barrel having an opening at its front end, a ball-andcartridge unit disposed within said barrel and reciprocable lengthwise thereof, said unit comprising an ink reservoir and a ball point connected to the front end thereof, a spring continuously urging said unit rearwardly, a pushbutton projecting rearwardly from the back end of said barrel and reciprocable lengthwise thereof, a laterally deilectable plunger rod anchored to said pushbutton and projecting forwardly therefrom action of said surface With s110111- movement of the unit and'plunger rod.

: ber is engageable, when in one of said limiting postures, to releasably hold said unit in its forward position, spring means biasing said latch member toward latching engagement with said shoulder, said latch member extending backwardly from its pivotal center toward said plunger rod and formed with two oppositely inclined surfaces which lie individually and alternately inthe path of said plunger rod when said latch member is in either of the two aforementioned limiting postures respectively, whereby said plunger rod engages and shifts said latch member from whichever limiting posture it happens to occupy to the alternate limiting posture thereof and retains the latch member in said alternate limiting posture during the succeeding rearward 2. A ball-point fountain pen comprising a barrel, a ball point supporting means reciprocably mounted therein and having a ball writing point in its forward end, and propelling and retracting means for projecting said point from and alternately retracting it into said barrel, said means comprising spring means constantly urging said supporting means in retracting direction into the barrel, stop means in said barrel, a latch member pivotally associated with the rear end of said supporting means. spring means normally urging said latch member rotatably in one direction to engage said stop means, and a push member reciprocably mounted in said barrel in `position to Yengage said latch member when the latter is disengaged from said stop means and propel said latch member and said supporting means forwardly to a position wherein said writing point is projected out of said'barrel and said latch member is rotated by said spring to engage said stop means and to hold the part so propelled, said latch member having a shoulder offset laterally of its pivotal support away from said stop means with a cam surface leading thereto, said cam surface `being aligned with said push member when said latch member is engaged with said stop means so that said push member upon reciprocation` is guided by said cam surface to engage said shoulder and rock said latch member about its pivotal support away from said stop means releasing said latch member and supporting means for retraction movement.

3. A ball-point fountain pen comprising a barrel, a ball point supporting means reciprocably mounted therein and having a ball writing point at its forward end, retracting means for retracting said point into said barrel, a latch member pivotally connected to saidV point supporting means and rockable between two alternate "positions, stop means in said barrel positioned to be engaged by said latch member in one of its said positions, said` latch memberbeing free, when in the other of its positions, to reciprocate with said point supporting member, a pushbutton'reciprocably mounted within said barrel and carrying a.V

push rod positioned to engage said latch member when said 'pushbutton is depressed, said latch member having two surface portions engageable respectively by said push rod upon forward movenrerititireref wirensainachimeniberisrfither bruts "two 'positions "to prop'ifsaid latch member 'andpeinwsuppnrtmgmember, whereby-'ammire- 'cipretat'id fof 'said "pusiibdtton' `wher'i lsaid :iaitc'h turning saidfpushbutton to a nonedepressed position when said stop means is engaged, said push kv.rod beingpositioned upon the next succeedingde- Zpressibjn 'fsaid 'pushbutton "t'o' engage *and "more `s`a1d latch 'I'ne'rnber "to r'elease "it '.ifrom "said stp ingmemberibysaidretractingmeans 4. In a ball-point writing instrument of the type having a barrel, a unit slidable in the barrel including an ink reservoir, a ball-point Writing point at the forward end of the unit and adapted r to be propelled and retracted through the adjacent end of the barrel, and ink feed means connecting the reservoir and writing point; the combination of spring means constantly urging the unit toward retracted position, a stop element xed relatively to said barrel, a latch element disposed in driving relation to the unit and movable between latching position with respect to said stop for releasably holding the unit in propelled position when moved thereto and release position wherein the unit is free to retract in the barrel, and a depressible actuating element carried by the barrel reciprocable into engagement with said latch element in either position of the latter, that part of said latch element adapted to be engaged by said actuating element having a pair of laterally spaced abutment surfaces, one of which is engaged by said actuating element to move said unit forwardly into propelled position where it is latched by said latch element and the other is engaged by said actuating element to move said latch element to released position to permit retraction of the unit, and cam means on said latch element between said abutment surfaces for guiding said actuating element into en- .z

gagement with one or the other of said abutment surfaces dependent upon the position of said unit.

5. In a ball-point writinginstrument of the type having a barrel, a unit slidable in the barrel and including an ink reservoir, a ball-point writing point at the forward end of the unit and adapted to be propelled and retracted through the adjacent end of the barrel, and ink feed means connecting the reservoir and writing point; the combination of spring means constantly urging the unit toward retracted position, a stop element xed relatively to the barrel, a latch element in driving relation with the unit and pivotably movable between a position engaging said stop element and a position disengaged therefrom, and depressible actuating means reciprocable into engagement with said latch element, said latch element having a pair of spaced abutment surfaces adapted to be engaged alternately by said actuating means to move said latch element to its said positions, and cam means on said latch element engaged by said actuating means when it is depressed to guide said actuating element alternately into engagement with said abutment surfaces to propel and latch the unit upon first depression of said actuating means and to unlatch said latch element and permit retraction of the unit upon the next succeeding depression of said actuating means.

s l Y moves imamelledl-posit'ion, thebyitbreleasablyhold th'e it fprpeired position, .d sa epressibie fa cuat- 'ingeIeme-tjcaredity the 'barrel l'and adapted to engage-"said lath elei'rfentfto eifee'tprplliiig movement of the unit and to enable retracting movement of the unit to be effected by said spring means, said latch element having a pair of laterally spaced abutment surfaces adapted to be engaged alternately by said actuating element when it is depressed, and cam means between said abutment surfaces adapted to be engaged by said actuating element as it is depressed to direct it against one of said abutment surfaces in the retracted position of the unit to propel the unit into latched position and to direct it against the other of said abutment surfaces in the propelled-andlatched position of the unit to unlatch said latch means and permit said spring means to retract the unit.

7. A propelling and retracting mechanism for a ball-point writing instrument of the typel having a barrel, a unit slidable in the barrel and including anink reservoir, a ball-point writing element at the forward end of the unit and adapted to be propelled and retracted through the adjacent end of the barrel, and ink feed means connecting the reservoir and Writing element; said mechanism comprising spring means constantly urging the unit toward retracted position, stop means on the barrel, a latch element between the unit and said actuating element and pivotally connected to the unit for rocking movement between a position in line with said stop means and a position displaced therefrom, a depressible actuating element carried by said barrel and positioned to engage said latch element in either of c its aforesaid positions for projecting the unit, said latch element having an abutment surface disposed laterally on one side of its pivotal support for engagement with said stop means and a second abutment surface disposed laterally on a.; the other side of said vpivotal support, and cam means on said latch element adapted to be disposed in alignment with said actuating element in the latched position of said latch element and adapted to be engaged by said actuating element 1;; to guide the latter into engagement with said second abutment surface to rock said latch element away from said stop means as said actuating element is depressed to permit said spring means to retract the unit.

8. A ball-point Writing instrument comprising a barrel, a writing unit longitudinally slidable' in said barrel and having a Writing point vadapted to be propelled and retracted through the forward end of said barrel, spring means constantly urging said unit toward retracted position, a depressible actuating element including a flexible actuating rod having a free end extending forwardly toward said writing unit, a forwardly facing stop shoulder in said barrel, a latch element carried by said unit for slidable movement 7 therewith and for pivotal movement, about a transverse Aaxis, when said latch element is forwardly of said shoulder, between a first position engageable with said shoulder to hold said unit propelled-and a second position slidable rearwardly past said shoulder to permit retraction xoi said unit, and spring means urging said latch Aelement toward said first position, said latch element having its free end formed with a iirst cam surface positioned to lie in the path of said actuating element when said latch element is in its first position and to effect pivotal movement of said latch element toward its second position vvwhen saidactuating element engages and advances said latch element, and a second cam Asurface positioned to lie in the path of said actuating element when said latch element is in its second position and to eiect pivotal movement of said latch element toward its iirst position wheny said actuating element engages and advances said latch element beyond said shoulder.

HERMAN C. FRENTZEL;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are.r of recordin the iileof this patent: l f

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wahl sept. V2'1, 1949 

